Kevin's Watch

I finished Runes of the Earth yeserday, and I enjoyed it. I know there are debates going on elsewhere about whether the book is flawed or not, and I thought I'd add to it. In my honest opinion, the book has its weaknesses, as well as its strengths. I didn't like Linden too much - I don't think she whines as much as others say she does, but she seems too emotional (I got tired, rapidly, of her coming to tears almost every chapter) and there is really nothing interesting about her; in the second chronicles she had big flaws, and I missed that. Which brings me to another point - I miss Covenant. I understand that he died at the end of the second chronicles, but he is far more interesting than Linden. However, this book has a wealth of amazing characters to keep me interested (and connected to events) - Liand, Stave, Esmer, Anele . . .

Another criticism I have is that the nature of the threat seems vague - there doesnt seem to be a threat. In the previous chronicles Foul's evil was apparent. Though I am all for subtlety, Foul was just a distant figure. It seems as though this book is merely to provide 'backing' and 'context' for the threat later in the series. And that's something I need to mention in detail. Reading through the book it became apparent to me that it is one of the most referential books I have ever read; it seems that the events of the previous books had to be discussed and elaborated upon. This may seem a criticism, so bear with me. In most of SRD's books, the title is really a key to understanding what the book is about (as good literature does). Runes of the Earth is really about the past - and like stone being the 'skeleton' of the earth, this book is the skeleton of the whole series. So I have no problem with this.

What I have a problem with, is that this book, like The Wounded Land, resolves very little. In comparison to the other books (even the Gap), there is really no climax - Demondim appear, Demondim chase, and the threat of the Demondim loom towards Revelstone. It felt unfinished. Variol Farseer made some excellent points in the Flawed thread regarding how books are released in volumes (or serialised), and that this sort of thing happens. However, I felt the book was lacking. Understand that my experience of the chronicles have been through *collected* editions, so that the first and second chronicles are complete stories; essentially, I never had to wait. What bothers me now is that I have to wait two or three years for the next installment. This is why I am frustrated.

Criticisms aside, and they are minor despite how much I spent writing on them, this book is very good.

Good review. I too found Runes interesting, but lacking in many ways. My greatest disappointment was the lack of newness, we have yet to see an imaginative direction Donaldson is taking us, so far we just have rehashed characters types with few if any changes and as you said: “a vague threat.”

It is almost as if SRD is suffering from “sequelitis.”

I recently finished a second read of Runes, and I agree with some of what you've said, Loremaster. I too think that Linden is somewhat less interesting now than she was in the 2d Chrons, because she seems to have resolved some of her internal issues. And I missed Covenant, too -- and the Giants, gosh darn it!

As for "sequelitis," IVB, I know what you mean. I said somewhere else in this forum that the search for the Staff of Law had a sort of video-game feel to it. You know -- go here, do this task, meet this person and this other person, have this hallucinogenic experience, make it through the maze, and get the Babel Fish, er, the Staff.

But I do think that Runes has a climax: Anele's speech in the Close. I missed it the first time around -- it doesn't have the Industrial Light & Magic touch, like Covenant's confrontations with Foul or the scene in the well of the One Tree. But it's definitely a gut-grabber. And I have no doubt that much of what Anele says in that speech foreshadows the action to come in the next three books.

The first time through Runes, I spent the whole experience grinning. It wasn't until the second time through that I began to grasp what SRD is setting up with this book.

I agree, aliantha. Anele's speech is most likely intended as that first glimpse of just how dire circumstances in the Land are, what with Kastenessen, the Skurj, the blackness on the Elohims' hearts, Roger wreaking havoc, etc...

Edit - Actually, now I think about it, this puts even more similarity between Runes and the first half of tWL: In tWL we had the Soothtell, showing us the truth behind what had happened and setting up the rest of the series. Now, we have Anele's reading: just as dire for the Land, but more vague, less coherent. This time, our protagonist isn't given as full a warning and hasn't been given any hint on how to fix the problem.
This similarity suggests that there may be further points in the Last Chrons where the series' structure reflects that of the Second Chrons.

A thought I had while reading Runes, and I think I've mentioned it before, is that each of the Chronicles seems to feel like an expansion of one of the books in the first Chronicles. In other words, Lord Foul's Bane is like a microcosm of the entire first Chronicles, The Illearth War parallels the Second Chronicles in many ways, and I believe that the third Chronicles will have a lot in common with The Power That Preserves...In terms of structure, that's what I'll be comparing the last Chronicles to.

...Donaldson shows a much appreciated maturity of use of language in this book. ..if you will,," peak of his craft". There are the smaller phrases like , " terminal narcissism" that seem to be echoes of aged commentary somewhere heard during the last 20 or so years of popular society. There are those Olde English words adjectifying darkly, the trademark of Donaldson. And even combinations only he mite conjure,as in " illimitable" is the continuing art I expected from his new work. Yet, the author takes it another step here. Combinations of words in the setting or dialogue have 2nd meetings..much like alot of his words used,,when looked up in the dictionary,,one discovers its not the 1st definition listed that Donaldson is referrencing,,but the 2nd or even the 3rd. Heres an example I pursued just to see where it went: Sam Diadem..diadem is a crown,,what the King wears..so the line about jerry's day caretaker(Sandy?),,dating Sam's son but in no hurry to get married...says what? If hes the Prince she ain't impressed?..Shes a liberated woman?..etc. I've posted already on the " Oh My God" repeated so oft by the Chosen, elsewhere- this is an example of what i refer to; a simple throw away line, but apon repetition becomes something of import.
...I never use to cry, or be so moved that I lost the ability to withold the tears. Then the grand parents and then the parents pealed away into soft oblivion and eversince , well,, compassion easily accesses the well of tears. Point is..Linden's tears are something that maybe not all generations have access to..Its like a Sinatra lover trying to listen to todays hip hop or metal..Its outside ones ability to relate to. Now...take that concept...." its outside ones ability to relate to"..Hang it next to the relationships presented in Rune..The opening line,," Sorry Mr Convenant, I can't do that" may take on a deeper meaning. Outside ones ability to relate to..jeremiah, Roger, Sheriff Litton, Joan.,,and just about every character in the Land as well..interesting. While it appears to be about the Chosen..perhaps its the work of an man who can see the finite.( the pain of timetravel is the pain of memories?) Lin reminds us ever so often of the scar on her chest. Concerns,,such as ,,leaving a lasting mark,,passing on to the next generation,,what a Humane Being is capable of by the word,,and the example of the word,, and is the retirement fund deep enuf,,strikes me not to far from the surface here.
..This website ..the enormous and vast improvement in communcations that it represents..may be seen in the same context of relating to that which is outside ones experience,,and bringing into ones self.
...Donaldson is some 4 years my senior. Maybe it is I, the beholder thru bi-focals who sees the world as such and therefore is prejudiced,,but he is some 4 years my senior. As referenced a bit back,,compassion can come with age if by no other prompting. i found a lot of it in Rune,,and hope to see the exploration of it continued in the next 3.
...or..........OH MY GOD!!ITS AN OLDE FARTS BOOK!!!!!!!.......Twilight Zone anybody?...............................MEL

Welcome to the Watch lurch - Be Welcome and True.

Very interesting post!

And the Watch is open to "Old Farts" and "Young Farts" alike!!